This guy caught our hearts with his song “F… Me Up With Words and Wine”. Anders H. Riis and his project Southern Gothic Tales came back to our speakers today, on 17. March 2014, with the new album “I’m An Island”.
The record, which was announced by the single “I’m An Island”, contains 9 wonderful compositions. With a delicate touch of violin, dignified trumpets in the background and heart-melting vocals and melodies, “I’m An Island” is like an ointment for the itching that this world causes in us.
One of the biggest advantages of “I’m An Island” is its simplicity. The careful use of instruments helps to highlight the lyrics, which are so “down to earth” and so “up in the sky” at the same time – “Drunk and Mad, or Hight and Sad” – as one of the song titles says.
I got charmed by Southern Gothic Tales from the very first moment I’ve heard the music. It was in a small Copenhagen room, on a September evening and it was in a very melancholic moment. The melancholy stayed with me and appears every time I listen to Southern Gothic Tales. But it’s a kind of melancholy which doesn’t make you feel depressed. Quite the opposite. It soothes your mind and makes you see things more clearly, it says “Keep Running”.
Sure, there comes a tear in the eye here and there (like while listening to “Beat”), but it doesn’t cause a river of tears afterwards. I don’t know how the Southern Gothic Tales musicians did it, but they created an atmosphere of desperation which isn’t desperate, the melancholy which does not beat down, the sadness which still leaves space for smiling.
“I’m An Island” will let you take a deep breath. We all need it from time to time.
Our small team of music lovers runs Good because Danish with one goal: to share songs and stories that spark emotions. We believe that music is the great equalizer: it’s for everyone. Therefore, we keep our content free. There’s no ads, no clickbait, no sponsored posts. Every article was written out of pure love. If you like what we do, please support us via a PayPal or Patreon.
You will help us cover website maintenance, software, equipment, and travelling to events. In return, we will continue to set an example of unbiased music journalism. More info HERE
